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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28901763">Just Passing Our Time</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysticanni/pseuds/mysticanni'>mysticanni</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Photography, Romance, photography lessons</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 09:08:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,086</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28901763</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysticanni/pseuds/mysticanni</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Freddie takes photography classes and thinks the tutor is lovely.  Roger is attracted to one of Freddie's classmates.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>John Deacon/Roger Taylor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Joger Week 2021</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Just Passing Our Time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Prompt: Taking Pics</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“It was an absolute disaster, darling,” Freddie sighed, draping himself elegantly over the threadbare chaise-longue.  Mr Brown at the pre-loved household goods stall had let them have it for free after they’d helped him carry furniture from a house clearance from the van to his stock room. </p><p>Roger was still trying to decide what to say in response to that – I’m sorry – What went wrong? – It can’t have been that bad, surely? – When Freddie continued, “The class was full of men comparing equipment.”</p><p>Roger giggled.  “That sounds more interesting than I would have expected!”</p><p>Freddie threw a cushion at him.  “Behave, darling,” he said, giggling himself, “They were comparing their camera equipment.” </p><p>Roger giggled again.  “Who do you think had the biggest telephoto lens?”</p><p>“It’s not funny, Roger,” Freddie wailed, “Well, maybe it is a little funny,” he conceded. </p><p>“You pay for each lesson, don’t you?” Roger asked.  Freddie confirmed this was the case.  “Well, don’t go if it’s awful,” Roger suggested. </p><p>Freddie looked appalled.  “But darling, the man who takes the class is gorgeous,” he sighed, “I shall persist in the face of tedium.”</p><p>Roger grinned.  “Apart from the delicious tutor did you enjoy anything else about the class?”</p><p>“I didn’t realise it would be quite so technical,” Freddie told him, “It’s all about choosing the correct settings for the photo you want to take - adjusting things to take into account if the weather is gloomy or you’re shooting in brilliant sunshine.”</p><p>“That sounds interesting,” Roger commented. </p><p>“Oh, don’t you start, dear!” Freddie groaned.  His face brightened.  “Why don’t you come along next week?  Then I won’t be the worst person in the class!”</p><p>“Thanks a million,” Roger laughed, “I’m not sure it’s my thing,” he added, “It sounds like there are too many rules for me!”  </p><p>“Oh, darling, that’s exactly how I feel about it!” Freddie exclaimed.  “It’s stifling my creativity!”</p><p>*</p><p>The photography classes were held at the nearby secondary school.  As it was raining heavily the following Thursday when Freddie had his class Roger went to pick him up in the car.  He arrived slightly before the class was due to end and wandered into the school, curious to catch a glimpse of the delectable tutor.</p><p>He drifted towards the distant sound of voices and saw people spilling into a corridor.  Freddie was amongst them, chatting to a tall slender man with abundant dark curly hair.  Roger raised his hand in greeting.</p><p>“Thought you might like a lift home,” Roger told Freddie as he got closer, “It’s chucking it down out there.”</p><p>“Oh, that’s very sweet of you,” Freddie glanced at the curly-haired man, “Mr May, this is my flatmate Roger.  Roger, this is Mr May who teaches this class.”</p><p>“Brian, please,” Mr May said. </p><p>“Pleased to meet you,” Roger said.  He noticed someone hovering, clearly waiting to speak to Mr May.  They were a very beautiful someone with long wavy hair and a still, serene face like an angel carved out of stone.  “Sorry,” Roger apologised to this beauty, stepping aside to allow him to move closer to Mr May.</p><p>“See you next week, Freddie,” Mr May said, turning to the beauty.  “John, how can I help?”</p><p>As Freddie and Roger moved off down the corridor Roger heard angelic John ask something about a sunny sixteen rule, which sounded intriguing.  Mr May was replying saying something about exposure.  Roger’s thoughts were drifting towards what John might look like exposed – divested of his high-necked jumper perhaps – when Freddie nudged him and said, “John’s very cute, isn’t he?”</p><p>“Is he?  I hadn’t noticed,” Roger replied airily, “I thought it was call-me-Brian you were lusting after?”</p><p>“It is, darling,” Freddie assured him, “I have a weakness for his luscious curls.  I’ve established he is single.”</p><p>“How?” Roger wondered. </p><p>“I simply asked him if Mrs May minded him being out every Thursday night and he revealed that there is no Mrs May and that he is, in fact, single,” Freddie explained. </p><p>“Nice detective work,” Roger laughed.  He pulled up the hood of his jacket as they reached the front door.  It was still pouring with rain.  “Do you know anything about John?” he asked, trying to sound casual, as they hurried through the pelting rain to the car.</p><p>“He’s a student,” Freddie said as he flung himself into the passenger seat, “And he asks the best questions about lighting and distance from your subject and so on.  Also, he thankfully doesn’t join in the tedious ‘my camera is better than your camera’ one-upmanship.”</p><p>“No insecurity about the size of his dick, then,” Roger mused, turning the key in the ignition and saying a little silent prayer that the car would start. </p><p>Freddie giggled, “He might be too mature for you,” he noted. </p><p>Roger grinned at him, “He might be looking for comic relief,” he pointed out.  He sighed as the car spluttered and wheezed and then fell silent.  “Oh come on please start,” he muttered.</p><p>The car made an irritated coughing sound as he tried to start it again.  Freddie sighed.  “I suppose it’s the thought that counts,” he muttered.</p><p>They both jumped as someone knocked on the window.  Roger peered out through the rain streaming down the glass and saw John peering in.  He wound the window down.  “Uh...Would you like me to look at it for you?” John offered, blushing, “I’ve always been quite good with cars.”</p><p>“You’re an angel!” Freddie called across from the passenger seat.</p><p>“That would be very kind of you,” Roger said, “I’m afraid I’m useless at this kind of thing.”  He depressed the little lever that released the car bonnet and John lifted it and peered inside.</p><p>It took John a few seconds to fix the car.  “Try her now,” he suggested and the engine roared into life.  Evidently having John’s clever hands caressing the car’s insides had done wonders for it’s perkiness.</p><p>“Thank you so much,” Roger gushed, “Do you have your own car here or can I offer you a lift?”</p><p>John did not have a car so scrambled into the back seat of the mini and slightly shyly gave them his address.  “That must be two bus rides away, dear,” Freddie noted.  </p><p>John flushed.  “I’d heard Mr May is regarded really highly in photography circles so I wanted to take his class,” he explained, “I’m sorry, this must be really out of your way...Just let me out...”</p><p>“No, no, no,” Roger said quickly, “If it hadn’t been for you we would have been walking home in this deluge!  We’ll take you right to your door!”</p><p>“We have to photograph a person as homework for the next class,” Freddie announced, “Who are you planning on snapping John?  Do you have a significant other to pose for you?”</p><p>John shook his head.  “I’m not very sure who to ask,” he mumbled.</p><p>“I thought I might ask my mother if she’d like her photo taken,” Freddie said.</p><p>“Not me?” Roger pouted, “I’m hurt.”</p><p>“You can pose for John, dear,” Freddie suggested.  “That would have the dual benefit of fuelling your ego and giving John a model.”</p><p>“Sure,” Roger agreed, trying not to sound too excited at the prospect of getting to spend time with John, “If that suits you, John?”</p><p>“That would be perfect,” John croaked. </p><p>*</p><p>Roger felt a little flutter of anticipation as he went to meet John at the university.  John had suggested it would be easier to photograph Roger after classes when the university was quiet.  “We’d get no peace in my flat,” he had said, “There’s always at least one of my flatmates around.”</p><p>Roger thought perhaps he should have suggested John came to their flat but it was too late for that now.  And maybe that would have spooked John.  John might have felt like a fly landing on a spider’s web.</p><p>He spotted John on the steps of the building they had agreed to meet outside and raised his hand in greeting.  John jogged down the steps to meet him and Roger admired his ease of movement.  He felt his face break into a wide smile.  “Hi, John,” he said.  “How would you like me?” he added with a wicked grin, enjoying seeing John’s cheeks colour.</p><p>*</p><p>John was beautiful when he was concentrating on setting up the perfect shot, Roger noticed.  His clever capable hands expertly adjusted the settings on the camera.  He moved around – checking out all the angles and studying Roger seriously.</p><p>Roger focussed on sitting still on the wall John had asked him to perch on.  It was a chilly day but sunny and dry and Roger was well wrapped up.  He obediently adjusted his pose as requested, tilting his chin up and turning his head slightly. </p><p>“Beautiful,” John breathed, then blushed.</p><p>“That’s just what I was thinking about you,” Roger told him, feeling his own cheeks growing hot. </p><p>John smiled and he really had the loveliest smile.  Roger thought he could easily become addicted to that smile – craving it. </p><p>They went for a drink after John had taken all of the photographs he wanted.  He explained to Roger that they would be developed during the night-class the following evening.  “There’s a little dark room at the back of the class room.  It’s a converted cupboard, really,” he said. </p><p>“Is it really hard to do?” Roger asked. </p><p>John considered this carefully – this careful consideration was one of the (apparently many) things Roger liked about him.  John was not glib or superficial.  John thought about things and provided reasoned arguments or well thought out replies.  “In theory it’s just a question of mixing the correct chemicals in the correct quantities then bathing the film in the resultant mixture,” John told him, “So anyone should be able to do it – and everyone on the course can do it – however I’ve noticed some people do tend to get better results than others.  Your friend Freddie, for example – he can be a bit slapdash about taking photos but he’s very good at developing them.”</p><p>“He’s very creative,” Roger noted. </p><p>“He has an eye for what will be interesting to photograph,” John said, “I think he’s a little impatient when it comes to choosing his settings though.”</p><p>Roger grinned, “Yeah that sounds like Freddie!”  He discovered that John found his flatmates noisy and irritating and spent quite a lot of his time at the library.  Roger suggested, feeling a little flutter in his stomach that John should come to dinner on Saturday.  “It would get you out of the flat.”  </p><p>*</p><p>Freddie’s friend Joe who was studying hospitality and catering had left Roger dishes that just needed to be heated up.  “Even you should be able to manage that,” he had said, although he still sounded doubtful. </p><p>John arrived bearing a bottle of wine.  “The photos of you were a great success at the class this week,” he beamed. </p><p>“Great,” Roger smiled at him, “I’m happy to be your subject any time!” he added. </p><p>John blushed.  He looked very cute when he blushed.  “I’d like that.”</p><p>Roger set the wine on the table and moved closer to John, reaching out and brushing his hair away from his face.  “Is this okay?” he murmured, leaning closer and brushing his lips against John’s. </p><p>John’s reply was a needy, urgent kiss.</p><p>*</p><p>The bleep of the smoke alarm startled them later, afterwards, when they were lying in blissful exhaustion in each other’s arms.  “Oh, fuck!” Roger exclaimed, “The pie!”</p><p>*</p><p>Once the smoke alarm had been silenced, the windows opened wide to release the smoke and the charred remnants of the pie pulled from the oven they showered and dressed and walked to the fish and chip shop at the corner of the street, smiling at each other. </p><p>“I think the pie might be cemented to the pie dish,” John noted as they ate their fish and chips at the kitchen table.  “You might have to cut your losses there.”</p><p>“Fuck,” Roger sighed, “It’s Joe’s pie dish.”  He explained, slightly sheepishly, how Joe had prepared the meal for them. </p><p>John laughed then looked sympathetic.  “You owe Joe a pie dish then,” he said solemnly. </p><p>Roger shrugged then grinned.  “It was worth it,” he decided.  “You were worth it.”  This made John blush and his grin widened.</p><p>“I must say I’ve had a very pleasant evening,” John replied, still blushing.  “Perhaps we could do this again?”</p><p>“Apart from the cremating the food and almost burning the place down thing I hope we can do this again very often,” Roger agreed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>It occurs to me now that the tutor of the photography course I took might have told me I was good at developing photos out of kindness because I was so shockingly bad at taking them.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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